Free East River Bridges & the Congestion Zone

In short: The Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg and Ed Koch Queensboro bridges have no bridge toll. But all four land in or next to Manhattan's congestion zone, and each is an MTA detection point. A TLC trip to, from, within or through the zone pays the same per-trip charge whichever bridge it uses: $0.75 in a taxi, green cab or other FHV, $1.50 on Uber or Lyft. A free bridge saves a bridge toll, not the congestion charge.

Why these bridges are free

The four East River crossings are run by the NYC Department of Transportation, not a toll agency. DOT's 2024 bridge report lists "the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Ed Koch Queensboro Bridges" among the City bridges in its inventory (NYC DOT 2024 report). None of them appears on the MTA's toll list (MTA vehicle types) or the Port Authority's (PA tolls). The MTA's tolled crossings into Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens are the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel, each $7.46 with an NYCSC E-ZPass.

Free bridge vs tolled tunnel: what each trip pays

On TLC trips, the passenger pays both the tunnel toll and the per-trip charge. TLC Industry Notice #24-10 says the per-trip charge applies "for each trip to, from, within, or through the Congestion Relief Zone", and that TLC vehicles "would not be charged unless the vehicle is on a trip" (Notice #24-10). Crossing a free bridge empty costs nothing if your base or meter company is enrolled. See do I pay congestion pricing when I drive empty?

When the bridge-to-highway trip is not a zone entry

For private cars, the MTA's FAQ explains which bridge connections count as entering the zone. Trips that can be made only on the excluded highways are not tolled (MTA FAQ):

• Brooklyn Bridge → FDR Drive northbound: not tolled.
• Brooklyn Bridge → FDR Drive southbound: tolled, because the route runs through Pearl Street.
• FDR Drive → Williamsburg or Manhattan Bridge: tolled.
• FDR Drive → Queensboro Bridge: tolled, except Queens-to-Upper East Side trips on the upper level, which exit at 62nd Street.

These details matter for your own car. A TLC trip pays the per-trip charge if it goes to, from, within or through the zone, so the question is where the passenger is picked up and dropped off.

Choosing a bridge with a passenger

A free bridge is often the cheapest way for the passenger, but it is not automatically the right route. TLC rule §80-16(a) says you must follow the passenger's reasonable routing request and, without one, take "the shortest reasonable route". If the tunnel is shorter, the passenger pays its toll; if they ask for a free bridge, use it. The per-trip congestion charge is the same either way, so it should never be the reason to pick a route. More: toll bridge or free route with a passenger?

How many TLC vehicles use each bridge

In 2025 the four free bridges carried 19,380,145 TLC taxi/FHV entries into the zone, 29.2% of all TLC entries. The four tolled tunnels (Queens Midtown, Holland, Lincoln, Carey) carried 14,432,742 (21.7%). The rest came from the north across 60th Street. TLC vehicles were a large part of the traffic on these bridges: 46.8% of entries at the Queensboro, 42.7% at the Brooklyn Bridge, 37.6% at the Williamsburg and 34.7% at the Manhattan Bridge (our sums of t6yz-b64h, fetched October 12, 2026). The Brooklyn Bridge also had 1,052,809 TLC "excluded roadway" entries: vehicles that came in and stayed on the FDR Drive, which the MTA does not count as zone entries.

Monthly totals for all crossings: taxi and FHV zone entries. Traffic speeds since tolling began: Manhattan traffic speeds.

Your own car and the zone: congestion pricing for your personal car. All MTA crossings explained: MTA bridges and tunnels tolls. The program on a TLC shift: congestion pricing for TLC drivers. Borough guide: Manhattan. More: tolls hub.